Red Sox: 3 trades to make that don’t involve Xander Bogaerts
By Tim Boyle
Red Sox trade candidate Nathan Eovaldi could be the missing ace for a playoff team
Nathan Eovaldi is yet another player whose time with Boston has flown by. His story is a little different than Martinez’s. He has struggled at times and also seen his share of injuries. Last year, he managed to stay healthy and make a league-leading 32 starts. The result was an 11-9 record, 3.75 ERA, and fourth-place finish in the Cy Young race. His 2.79 FIP probably helped a lot on the ballots.
Boston’s interest in keeping Eovaldi beyond 2022 should remain but if they are going to take any steps backward it would benefit them to deal him mid-year and then maybe look for a reunion in the offseason. Starting pitching is an absolute premium at the trade deadline. The Red Sox would be foolish, if still out of contention, to hold onto him too tightly.
Because they most certainly won’t trade him within the division without holding someone for ransom, we need to look at some of the other teams outside of the American League East in need of an arm. The Minnesota Twins have managed to get solid starting pitching so far this year but with Chris Paddack out and a few other unproven guys around, they could turn out to be one club looking to land him.
Even teams that are getting some early elite starting pitching performances, such as the Los Angeles Angels, could look to further bolster their rotations for a playoff run.
When it comes to Eovaldi trades, don’t discount anyone except the biggest rivals of the Red Sox.